Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is set to make his return to the ring on June 27th at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita. But as fight night approaches, it seems Wilder may already have his sights set beyond his current opponent, Tyrrell Anthony Herndon, and toward a long-anticipated showdown with Anthony Joshua.

A clash between the two was initially planned for 2024, but Wilder’s shock loss to Joseph Parker in December 2023 poured cold water over those plans. Now, with both fighters experiencing a dip in momentum in recent years, the matchup may finally make sense, not just for their legacies, but to reignite fan interest. However, there is one key condition Joshua must meet before the bout can become a reality.

“Let’s get it on,” ‘The Bronze Bomber’ told Inside Boxing Live when asked whether he would ever fight ‘AJ.’ However, he issued one condition, stating, “As long as he is in the division, I’m in the division, I’m always willing to fight.” It’s also worth mentioning that Wilder has been linked with a crossover boxing match with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. 

Wilder is coming off two back-to-back losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. Not to mention, he hasn’t fought in the last year. Joshua, on the other hand, hasn’t fought since his devastating 6th-round loss to Daniel Dubois last year. His promoter Eddie Hearn has hinted at a possible December return against potential names like Wilder and Jared Anderson. 

Joshua is currently recovering from an elbow surgery, which hindered him from taking an immediate rematch against Dubois. Hearn has also mentioned that they would wait till the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois match next month to announce who Joshua may fight next. In the meantime, despite Wilder’s latest statement, the Joshua fight might not be next. 

Deontay Wilder may fight Anthony Joshua sometime next year

A long-awaited clash between Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua may finally materialize—just not in 2025. Wilder appeared in an interview with 78SPORTSTV back in March and addressed the possibility of facing Joshua. “Not this year for sure,” Wilder stated. “But maybe some time next year. Maybe a year after that or something.” Why? 

“I got to get myself back together first and foremost, and I’ve got to prove to myself that I’m back together like I feel,” he said. The Alabama native emphasized that his upcoming bout is a strategic move to regain momentum and confidence. He added, “We’ve got a lot of fights lined up for this year. We’re looking to have maybe three this year.”

That being said, even though there’s a lack of clarity on when Deontay Wilder may end up fighting Anthony Joshua, everything points to the possibility that it may happen at the end of this year. Would you like to see that fight?